Science has triggered a few media disputes: how difficult it is

Text ｜ Wuyishan

In April, the book of BEYOND The HYPE: The Inside Story of Science Stroversies (the authors of this article are translated by the Inside Story of Science Story of Science Hype: inside the scientific several largest media disputes ").

In 2002, a reporter Floro Fox founded a huge influential scientific media center in London, in order to mobilize more scientists to join the media. She had an analogy, saying that she wanted to "enter the radio waves" of scientists and researchers. This book is a detailed memoir of this past. She emphasized that this book is not a "objective record", because no matter how subjective colors are avoided.

The nature of SMC is different from the public relations department. While the public relations department of any institution, while conducting information dissemination, is always concerned about the brand image of the unit, and SMC only pays attention to one thing: helping journalists find the most suitable scientist on the theme of its report.

SMC's database has more than 2,300 scientists, including their professional distribution, scientific research level, level of expression, and willingness to contact the media. This is the best assistant for reporters to seek scientific and technological consultation.

SMC has achieved great success. This model is also imitated by many countries. The countries or regions of scientific media centers include Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Germany, Spain, Japan, East Africa and Taiwan.

The chapters of this book introduced several major disputes, such as "Climate Gate", "Franken Food" (referring to genetic food), the politicalization of science, gender discrimination in scientific research, and current new crown pneumonia infectious diseases (it is typical The land reflects the contradiction between the people's demand for simple and clear public information and the subtle complexity of science), and so on.

In an interview, Fiona Fox introduced that this book was basically written during her academic vacation in 2019. At that time, she was in a rural house in Donane, Irish. The purpose of writing is to bring SMC's attention in recent years: illegal drugs, climate change, animal research, genetically modified food, human beast mixed embryo experiments, chronic fatigue syndrome (muscle gelitis), etc. Wait.

The book was originally planned to be published in February 2020, but due to the new crown epidemic, it was written until the end of 2021. However, such a delay, this book has become a good thing to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the establishment of SMC. The author wrote the latest chapter on the new crown pneumonia in early 2022.

A report from Nature Magazine once called Fox as "charming, sometimes fighting women." During the interview, the reporter asked her: What do you want to change? She replied that the public's ability to listen to scientists' opinions is crucial, but this ability may be destroyed by various factors, such as the problems of the government's own existence of officials, and the corporate news office is based on the corporate strategic priority matters. The misleading of social media, harassment of scientific researchers who are willing to speak.

Fox is worried about the current scientific communication ecosystem.

First of all, because many scientific research projects are funded by the government, related scientific communication has entered the track of government communication machines. Some scientists want to say, but they may not be able to say. Scientists have publicly expressed their views on the uncertainty and knowledge gap of knowledge.

Secondly, scientific research and communication are also under pressure. Many universities' journalists are required to speak strictly in accordance with the school's caliber. Whether it is scientific research on marketing problems, enrollment issues, raising funds, or reputation, it cannot be said.

Third, "bar essence" on social media is rampant and scolding people. "Nature" magazine has published an investigation report that among scientific researchers who have carried out new crown pneumonians, rarely harassed by social media: 60%have been attacked by credibility, 40%have experienced emotional and psychological pain. 20%was threatened by physical violence or sexual violence, and 15%were threatened by death.

After the book was published, Fox quickly received the attention of everyone. This is not the result of her hope: she is telling the story, but she has become a story. She originally intended to publish this book after retirement, but she was afraid that she would become a story. But she was also worried that the openness of scientific communication was being threatened, especially in the past two years, so she couldn't wait any longer.

Fortunately, she didn't wait, readers can teach her early.

Beyond The Hype: The Inside Story of Sciences Bigget Media ControVersies, the author's picture

"China Science News" (2022-07-08 The 3rd edition of the original title "How difficult is scientist to make" heart like jade "))

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